Sunday, February 21, 2010

the 'journey' range we recently released is a defining one for myself, as aB nears its' 10th anniversary since starting on my dining room table...honestly - most people did not think the company would last 10 minutes, let alone 10 years, but here we are, still as passionate and driven as ever...Traditionally, this is around the time a lot of 'fashion' brands run out of ideas and go bust, this I think is because a lot of other companies do not have core values or they forget to stick to them when the company gets successful - becoming solely focussed on the pursuit of financial success... Even though financial stability has to be at the core of any business - I strongly believe that if one becomes solely driven by the 'almighty dollar' - long term success and creativity will be impossible......anyway -back to the point about journey;) strangely, until our trip to Queensland where we were going to shoot a different concept and range, I had not really reflected on my own personal or the brand's 'journey' too much, besides being extremely excited and grateful for everything that has happened - i've been too busy for anything else really;)I guess on the drive up the coast i just began to get that feeling, the one that is very difficult to put into words - something like 'knowing....' and so in that moment, i told everyone that the concept and shoot had to be changed, and explained the 'journey' range that everyone can now buy on the website... This is also an important part of the philosophy I use at aB - yes we plan and work towards our own kind of perfection, but we also have the flexibility to change in the moment - in this way - everything we do has a spontaneous element that often blows up in our faces, but also allows us to take quantum leaps in regards to creativity and innovation...

Now as i think about it - it must have been something of a sense of how far we have come in the past ten years, but also a sense of excitement in that 'this is just the beginning..' at last we have found our feet, and have a platform to truly produce the best ranges we can possibly produce - raising the bar once again for ourselves, and indeed all other companies...The underwear which is now the 'journey' range embodies this, as it is our most mature range yet - simply 'one for the ride' - comfortable and long lasting without having to have a huge statement, it just had a classic feel from the very beginning - a life of its' own;)!